


A Good Idea

by rael_ellan



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Drabble, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Gen, M/M, Pre-Slash, Set early Season 1, flashvibe, it's a discussion of one, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-25
Updated: 2019-05-25
Packaged: 2020-03-17 10:26:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18963385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rael_ellan/pseuds/rael_ellan
Summary: “I’m... sorry, can you say that again? I think I heard you wrong.”If there had ever, ever been a moment where Barry regretted opening his mouth more, he couldn’t think of it.“I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend to this thing for a few hours.”





	A Good Idea

**Author's Note:**

> Would you believe, I started writing this in 2015. Found it while clearing out some old documents. I intended to write a whole story, but somehow never got around to it. So here it is, now. I hope you enjoy it.

“I’m... sorry, can you say that again? I think I heard you wrong.”

If there had ever, ever been a moment where Barry regretted opening his mouth more, he couldn’t think of it.

“I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend to this thing for a few hours.”

He tried desperately not to cringe. Really, _how_ had he thought this would be a good idea?

“Um, why?”

Barry groaned and pulled a chair up to the side of the workbench and started tugging at a piece of string draped over the corner so he wouldn’t have to look at Cisco. Coward’s way out, perhaps, but he’d never claimed to be good at asking people out. Even if it wasn’t for real.

He took a breath, thought carefully about what he wanted to say – _you’ve been thinking about this all morning, Barry, you have a plan. Come on, don’t sound too pathetic. Don’t sound too pathetic, don’t sound-_

“Iris wants to go to our school reunion and last time we went together as friends but this year she’s bringing Eddie but she still really wants me to go too and I really don’t want to go alone because then everyone at school will think I’m a loser and that would really suck.”

_And that,_ his brain commented, wryly, _is why Anna wouldn’t go to prom with you._

He risked a glance up at Cisco and winced when he saw the confused look on his friend’s face.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to say it like that.”

“No, hey, man, don’t worry. Not wanting to be a loser at your old school – I get that. Seriously. You have _no idea_ how much I get that. I just,” Barry looks up again, winding the string round and round in patterns on the tabletop, “I don’t quite get how you’re equating ‘not a loser’ with... _me._ ” He paused, considering. “Unless you already asked Caitlin and she said no. In which case I get that, too.”

And that was why this had been a good idea. Cisco _got it._

He shook his head and sat back in the chair, taking the string with him. He thought of walking into that room with Caitlin and found himself absurdly wanting to laugh.

“No, I didn’t ask Caitlin. I mean, she’s great and all but, um. I guess I’d just like to be able to make fun of it with someone, and that would be much easier with you.”

It’s the truth, and is almost exactly what Barry had planned not to say, but Cisco looked so delighted when he smiled that it was hard to regret it.

“OK, but FYI, if we’re doing this, I’m warning you in advance, it is almost impossible for me to make myself seem cool. I’m sorry, but that one I just _cannot_ sell - I tried. God, how I tried.”

“Oh man, me too. You would not believe some of the things I thought would make me look cool.”

“ _Dude,_ ” Cisco said, and launched them into an hour long discussion of the horrors of high school. 

They were still laughing at one another when Caitlin wandered in asking who'd eaten her last hot pocket. With her eyes narrowed and her arms folded, Barry did the heroic thing and abandoned Cisco to his fate.

**Author's Note:**

> And then they're pulled into a series of events where they have to pretend to date, and slowly realise that they're not fake dating anymore, they're _actually_ dating but neither one wants to bring it up first, until one day, when something horribly dramatic is happening because what even _are_ their lives, they look over and notice how they're looking at each other, and then they're stupidly happy, The End.


End file.
